Zerg
The Zerg are a terrifying and ruthless amalgamation of biologically advanced, arthropodal aliens. Dedicated to the pursuit of genetic perfection, the Zerg relentlessly hunt down and assimilate advanced species across the galaxy, incorporating useful genetic code into their own, and exterminate any species that might corrupt the purity of the Zerg genome.Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. History The original Zerg species was discovered on the ash world Zerus, in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, by the Xel'Naga, a mysterious and ancient race of extragalactic geneticists, after they had abandoned their first experiment, the Protoss, on Aiur. The Zerg organism was a small, larval organism, but it contained the purity of essence sought by the Xel'Naga. Through Xel'Naga proto-genetic manipulations, the Zerg survived the torrential firestorms of their world and thrived. The Zerg developed the ability to burrow into the spinal fluids of less vulnerable creatures on Zerus, parasitically merging with them. These new bodies would then be used to manipulate their surroundings. The Zerg began to assimilate the genetic strains and processes of these host creatures. However, the Zerg had an undeviating drive to consume only the most advanced species they encountered. Lesser species were eradicated. The Xel'Naga were surprised to find how quickly the Zerg could steer the evolution of their host creatures. They developed armor piercing spines, razor-sharp limbs, and ultra dense carapaces. Fearful of the chaotic in-fighting that had enveloped the Protoss, the Xel'Naga created the Overmind, an enormous brain-like entity, to bring order to the Zerg. At first it was only a semi-sentient entity created from the instincts and collective sentience of the Zerg, but it quickly evolved. The Overmind did not directly relay orders to its minions. As new species were added to the Swarm, it began to relay orders through Cerebrates, giant versions of the Zerg larvae. Direct orders were relayed through Queens and Overlords. Expansion ]] The Overmind began to think of its future. In order to continue finding new species, it must leave Zerus. Extending its senses into space, it became aware of enormous space-faring organisms. It lured them to Zerus with its psychic abilities, then assimilated them into the Swarm. Soon all the Zerg had the ability to survive in space. The Xel'Naga considered this a triumph. The Zerg had not only survived their weaknesses, they had retained the purity of their terrible overriding essence. The Overmind extended itself further into space, becoming aware of the Xel'Naga Worldships in orbit above Zerus. The Xel'Naga realized their psionic link with the Overmind had been severed - the Overmind effectively hid itself from their view. The Overmind sent its minions into space, attacking the unsuspecting Xel'Naga. Despite the ancient race's best efforts, it was overwhelmed as the Zerg crashed into the hulls of its ships. Within a few hours the Zerg laid waste to the Xel'Naga fleet. The greater whole of the Xel'Naga was consumed by the raging, genetic whirlwind of the Zerg, and the Overmind gained their knowledge and insights. Processing thousands of sentient beings into itself caused the Overmind to grow much more powerful. It learned the secrets of the sacred Khaydarin Crystals, and began to incorporate the energies of these Crystals into its own. Through the knowledge gained from the Xel'Naga, the Overmind was able to increase the level of sentience in many of the higher Zerg strains, while still keeping them fully under its control. The Overmind dissected the memories of the Xel'Naga experiments with the Protoss. The Zerg then devoted their energies to seeking out the powerful Protoss in the hope of absorbing them into the Swarm, uniting purity of form and of essence, to create a totally "perfect" being. The Determinant ]] The Zerg did not know the exact location of Aiur, homeworld of the Protoss, but they were able to travel towards it, adding new species (such as the Mutalisk) to the Swarm along the way. However, the Zerg Overmind despaired; how could it defeat the Protoss with their powerful psionic abilities, when its own were so limited? In the shadow of the Protoss lay the Koprulu Sector, a patch of space inhabited by the Terrans. This species had been discovered by Zerg deep space probes. Normally the Zerg would not be interested in this species, believing them to be weak, but they exhibited a powerful psionic potential. Their probes discovered humans living on over a dozen worlds. Invasion of the Koprulu Sector The Zerg slowly made their way towards the Terran worlds. The journey lasted for sixty years, but eventually the massive, extended Zerg Swarm reached the outskirts of the Koprulu Sector. A number of Fringe Worlds were immediately infested.Neilson, Micky. StarCraft: Uprising. New York and Toronto, Ontario: Pocket Books, 2000. ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook only) The Zerg continued to penetrate into the Sector. The Terran Confederacy colony Chau Sara was subtly invaded first with Hive Spores, before the bulk of the Zerg force arrived to complete the infestation process. The Terrans were defeated. A Protoss fleet led by Executor Tassadar arrived shortly thereafter and sterilized the planet, effectively ending the infestation. The Overmind ordered its minions not to resist so that it could observe the Protoss in action. The Confederacy attempted to keep the Zerg presence a secret from its own citizens.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Loomings bonus campaign, mission 5: "Extermination" (in English). 1998-09-03. Map Archives: Precursor Campaign. :Main article: StarCraft Episode I The Zerg were lured to Mar Sara with psi emitters.Blizzard Entertainment Staff. 2007-11-21. The Story so Far... Part 1: StarCraft. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-11-21.Hickman, Tracy (May 21, 2002). StarCraft: Speed of Darkness. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04150-9.Sarah Kerrigan: "There's been a lot of secret Confederate research surrounding Ghosts and the Zerg. What we stole was a small but critical piece of the puzzle: designs for a Transplanar Psionic Waveform Emitter. The emitters broadcast the neural imprint of a Ghost, but at a much greater magnitude. These things reach across worlds." Arcturus Mengsk: "The Confederacy used these Psi Emitters to lure the Zerg into isolated containment areas. Your colony-Mar Sara-Commander, was one such location. StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Trump Card (in English). 1998. The Confederates made little attempt to oppose them, even arresting militias which dared to attack them.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Desperate Alliance (in English). 1998. Meanwhile, the Zerg invaded several other worlds, which were then purified by the Protoss.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Jacobs Installation (in English). 1998.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Trump Card (in English). 1998. The Sons of Korhal stole the emitter technology and used it as a weapon against the Confederacy. They lured the Zerg to Tarsonis, its capital.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Big Push (in English). 1998. A New Agent The Sons of Korhal's leader, Arcturus Mengsk, unwittingly played a role in the Overmind's designs. The Zerg devastated the Confederacy's power on Tarsonis, trapping the survivors on the planet. The Protoss Expeditionary Force under Tassadar arrived, intending to destroy the Zerg infestation. Mengsk ordered his subordinate, a Ghost named Sarah Kerrigan, to lead his forces against the Protoss. He feared the Confederates would escape, so he wanted the Zerg to remain in place to keep them there. Kerrigan reluctantly followed his orders. She defeated the Protoss, but was overwhelmed with a wave of Zerg. Mengsk made no effort to save her, as she had become a liability.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: New Gettysburg (in English). 1998. :Main article: StarCraft Episode II The Zerg captured Kerrigan, and rather than killing her it they placed her within a chrysalis to infest her.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Agent of the Swarm (in English). 1998. Their prize in hand, the Zerg partially withdrew from the Terran sector back to Char,StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Egression (in English). 1998. where Kerrigan was reborn into the Zerg Swarm as the powerful Queen of Blades. Unfortunately for the Zerg, her psionic emanations drew the attention of several enemies; General Edmund Duke of the Terran Dominion,StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The New Dominion (in English). 1998., Raynor's Raiders,, the remnants of Tassadar's Expeditionary Force, and the Dark Templar.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Flames (in English). 1998. Breakthrough on Char Kerrigan broke her psionic conditioning using Dominion Ghost Program files,StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Amerigo (in English). 1998. and with her new powers she detected the presence of Tassadar and his Protoss warriors. She defeated his forces,StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Dark Templar (in English). 1998. but his ally, Zeratul, Prelate of the Dark Templar, took advantage of her distraction to kill Zasz, Cerebrate of the Garm Brood. This action harmed the Overmind, preventing it from speaking.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Culling (in English). 1998. The leaderless Garm were eradicated by the Zerg. The Protoss had struck a keenly felt victory, but it was also their undoing. A brief psychic link had formed between Zeratul and the Overmind at the moment of Zasz's death. The Overmind had been able to read Zeratul's mind, and from him learned the secret location of the Protoss homeworld of Aiur. Exultant, the Zerg began their preparations for the invasion of Aiur and the fulfillment of their long quest for perfection. Meanwhile, Kerrigan's forces inflicted a revenge assault against the Protoss, killing many.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Eye for an Eye (in English). 1998. Tassadar and some troops was stranded on Char's space platformStarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Hunt for Tassadar (in English). 1998. while Zeratul and his Dark Templar were trapped in an abandoned Terran installation.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Darkness (in English). 1998. The Invasion of Aiur ]] Leaving Kerrigan behind on Char, the Zerg Swarm traveled through to Aiur.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Invasion of Aiur (in English). 1998. The Overmind was able to physically establish itself on the planet.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: The Invasion of Aiur (in English). 1998. :Main article: StarCraft Episode III The Protoss and Zerg fought in places such as Antioch and Scion. Both sides enjoyed victories... and losses.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: First Strike (in English). 1998.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Into the Flames (in English). 1998.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Higher Ground (in English). 1998. Believing it was winning the war, the Conclave dispatched a force of warriors to Char to arrest Tassadar. Tassadar convinced the force to help him rescue the Dark Templar, the only force capable of truly defeating the Zerg.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Choosing Sides (in English). 1998. The Protoss were able to rescue Zeratul. Tassadar took the Dark Templar with him to Aiur, immediately triggering a civil war. The Conclave felt the Dark Templar were a greater threat than even the Zerg. Tassadar emerged victorious over the Conclave.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Homeland (in English). 1998.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Trial of Tassadar (in English). 1998. Freed from Conclave interference, Zeratul took part in an assault on two Zerg hive clusters, slaying two Cerebrates. His forces hoped this action would distract the Overmind long enough to directly assault it.StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Shadow Hunters (in English). 1998. Then the Protoss, with assistance from the Terran Jim Raynor, moved past the thinned Zerg defenses to the Overmind itself. The Zerg were defeated,StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Mission: Eye of the Storm (in English). 1998. and Tassadar, drawing upon the Dark Templar powers he had been taught, sacrificed himself to destroy the Overmind.Blizzard Entertainment Staff. 2007-11-21. The Story so Far... Part 1: StarCraft. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-11-21. The Swarm was thrown into disarray and the Zerg rampaged across Aiur wrecking senseless death and destruction.Underwood, Peter, Chris Metzen and Bill Roper. StarCraft: Brood War (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. Moments of Transition :Main article: The Brood War In response to the death of the Overmind on Aiur, a number of Cerebrates led by Daggoth began merging together to form a new Overmind on Char.Kerrigan: Apparently, many of the renegade Cerebrates, commanded by Daggoth, have merged into a new Overmind. Fortunately, the creature is still in its infant stages. It can't control the Swarm yet, but Daggoth and the others still have control over most of the Broods. The two Cerebrates you killed here were part of Daggoth's forces. StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: The Quest for Uraj (in English). 1998. In the interim this left the Swarm divided between the new Overmind and Infested Kerrigan.Kerrigan: Queen of Blades. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-10-13. Kerrigan secretly traveled to the Dark Templar homeworld of Shakuras, subtly gaining control over the mind of its Matriarch, Raszagal.Infested Kerrigan: "I made your Matriarch my slave long before I joined you on Shakuras. She made the mistake of underestimating my power just like everyone else did. And now she's paid the price. "With her as my puppet I was able to eradicate the Renegades on Shakuras, and use you to kill the Overmind. And as you can see, your leader belongs to me now. Not bad, huh?" StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Reckoning (in English). 1998. The Brood War :Main article: StarCraft Episode IV The Zerg rampaged over Aiur, forcing the Protoss to flee. They traveled through a Warp Gate to Shakuras.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Escape from Aiur (in English). 1998.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Dunes of Shakuras (in English). 1998. The Zerg which followed them through were controlled by Daggoth or the second Overmind.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Legacy of the Xel'Naga (in English). 1998. The Protoss shut down the Gate, stranding Jim Raynor, Fenix and other Protoss on Aiur. Two Cerebrates made it to Shakuras, and set themselves around its Xel'Naga Temple. The Dark Templar destroyed them, and were surprised by the appearance of Infested Kerrigan. She proposed an alliance; she would help them recover the two crystals which could activate the Temple, if they would assist her in destroying the new Overmind growing on Char. Most of the Protoss were more interested in saving Shakuras from the Renegade Zerg, but Matriarch Raszagal was willing to listen.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Quest for Uraj (in English). 1998. Kerrigan assisted the Protoss in collecting the crystals,StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Return to Char (in English). 1998. but when they returned to Shakuras, they discovered that Aldaris had taken command of a legion of warriors and attacked the forces of the Matriarch. Aldaris was defeated, but instead of surrendering, he told Zeratul and Praetor Artanis that Kerrigan had been manipulating Raszagal's mind ... Kerrigan interrupted by slaying Aldaris. Zeratul banished her from the world.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Insurgent (in English). 1998. Harnessing the powers of the crystals, the Protoss activated the Xel'Naga Temple, destroying the Zerg on Shakuras.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: Fury of the Xel'Naga (in English). 1998. :Main article: StarCraft Episode V The United Earth Directorate pacification fleet arrived in the Koprulu Sector with orders to take control of the Overmind. To this end they took control of the Psi Disrupter, a former Confederate anti-Zerg weapon capable of disrupting Zerg communications, despite the machinations of Kerrigan's spy, Samir Duran.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Ruins of Tarsonis (in English). 1998.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Patriot's Blood (in English). 1998. The Disrupter weakened Kerrigan's control over her own Zerg forces''StarCraft: Brood War.'' Vivendi Games. Mission: Vile Disruption (in English). 1998. and made it possible for the UED to successfully assault Char, where they captured the Overmind.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: To Chain the Beast (in English). 1998.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: UED Victory Report (in English). 1998. Kerrigan Ascendent :Main article: StarCraft Episode VI The United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Force was in a weak strategic position, having to hold Braxis (the world which housed the Psi Disrupter), Korhal (former capital of the Terran Dominion, which it captured) and Char (home of the enslaved Overmind). Kerrigan struck an alliance with Fenix, Jim Raynor ... and Arcturus Mengsk. In return for her assistance in defeating the UED, they would help her destroy the Psi Disrupter. The allies helped Kerrigan to destroy the Disrupter,StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Reign of Fire (in English). 1998. and she in turn assisted in a successful assault on the UED forces on Korhal.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Liberation of Korhal (in English). 1998. Kerrigan and Duran quickly betrayed their former allies however, attacking both as they rested from the previous battle. Fenix himself was slain in combat, along with Dominion General Edmund Duke.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: True Colors (in English). 1998. Kerrigan had one more target; the second Overmind. She and Duran planned an invasion of Shakuras in order to acquire Matriarch Raszagal.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Drawing of the Web (in English). 1998. Kerrigan brough Raszagal to Char and used her as a bargaining chip; she would allow Raszagal to return to Zeratul if his Dark Templar worked alongside her own warriors and slew the second Overmind for her. Raszagal convinced Zeratul to cooperate. Together the forces permanently slew the second Overmind, with Zeratul personally delivering the fatal blow. When he demanded the return of Raszagal, the Matriarch refused. Zeratul abducted her, surprising Kerrigan.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: To Slay the Beast (in English). 1998. Kerrigan's forces hunted down Raszagal. Zeratul was forced to slay her in order to free her from Kerrigan's control.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: The Reckoning (in English). 1998. Meanwhile Kerrigan's attacks on the Protoss scattered them, at least temporarily.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Dark Origin (in English). 1998. With these objective completed and few, if any, opposing Cerebrates remaining, Kerrigan became the leader of the Swarm in the sector as the self-proclaimed Queen of Blades.Infested Duran: My Queen, with the 0Overmind and its cerebrates destroyed, all of the Zerg in this sector have reverted to your direct control. StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Level/area: The Reckoning (in English). 1998. Kerrigan's treachery quickly dissolved the alliances of convenience, but the Dominion, Protoss, and UED struck back with unexpected alacrity before the Zerg could consolidate. In an epic battle over Char the Zerg forced their assailants into ignominious retreat, saving not only Kerrigan from retribution but also the Swarm from another period of chaos.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Mission: Omega (in English). 1998. Kerrigan destroyed the retreating UED forces.StarCraft: Brood War. Vivendi Games. Cinematic: The Ascension (in English). 1998. Post-Brood War After the Brood War the Zerg remained on Char and refrained from engaging in overt hostile actions against the Terrans and Protoss for four years.Metzen, Chris; Chambers, Andy; Masterboo. 2007-08-31. BlizzCon 2007 StarCraft Lore Panel Editorial. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2007-12-02.Golden, Christie. StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters. Pocket Star Books, November 27, 2007. ISBN 0-7434-7126-1. Zerg of Aiur At least some Zerg remained on Aiur. These Zerg were initally undirected to the point of killing one another, enabling the remaining Protoss stranded on Aiur to coalesce into two groups, the Shel'na Kryhas and the Tal'darim. Some time after the Warp Gate was disabled, the Zerg of Aiur became more intelligent but were still not as vicious or focused as when the Overmind controlled them. They wandered Aiur like "discarded tools" and did not spawn new minions. Characteristics A great deal of information has been ascertained as to the nature of Zerg phisiology and psychology, mainly through the Terran Confederacy's Project Bellwood.StarCraft beta-The Zerg. Accessed on 2008-01-31 All Zerg breeds are efficent killers and/or possess abilities that will aid the Swarm in the destruction of its enemies. Physiology The Zerg as a whole are extremely tough, tenacious, and deadly. Their natural armor and weaponry is comparable to modern technology in terms of toughness and armor-piercing capabilities. They are extremely resistant to chemical agents,Zerg Overview. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2008-01-31 though their universally biological nature still renders them vulnerable to concentrated radiation. All Zerg strains are capable of operating in a variety of enviroments, including the vacuum of space.Zerg. StarCraft Compendium. Accessed on 2008-01-31 Perhaps the greatest advantage of Zerg physiology is their universal healing and regenerative ability. A Zerg colony will remain viable unless every creature and structure is completely destroyed, as even a Zerg on the brink of death will, given enough time, return to full health. Creep aids in this process, though the Zerg's reliance on this bio-matter is also a drawback, given that all their organic structures must be built on it. Psychology It has been difficult for observers to determine the full extent of the Zerg intelligence, but it is clear that they are a very cunning species, and they are capable of higher reasoning. Although they do not utilize technology, they demonstrate a clear understanding of it, and have been known to open airlocks and doorways in colonies that they have raided. As a group they also react intelligently to attacks and are adept at tactical combat. On an individual basis, though, the Zerg seem to be hardly more than savage animals with little or no concern for self-preservation. The amount of Control exerted over a Zerg force also impacts on their intelligence. Zerg Heroes *Daggoth (Cerebrate) *Infested Duran (exact species unknown) *Kaloth (Cerebrate) *Infested Kerrigan (the Queen of Blades and of the Zerg Swarm) *The Overmind *Infested Stukov (uninfested) *Zasz (Cerebrate) Zerg Broods Main article: Zerg Broods See also *Zerg gaming *Category: StarCraft Zerg units *Category: StarCraft: Ghost Zerg units *Category: StarCraft II Zerg units References/External Links Category:Zerg category:Races